


Obon, not Oden

by summertears



Series: I Owe You My Heart [5]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Bar, Ginzura - Freeform, M/M, Memories, Obon, Repressed Memories, Shinpachi's widsom is enviable, at first I forgot about Oden's, forgive me Oden
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29021145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summertears/pseuds/summertears
Summary: The Obon festival wasn't meant to reconciliation. But it's hoped that the spirits don't mind, in fact.
Relationships: Katsura Kotarou/Sakata Gintoki
Series: I Owe You My Heart [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098431
Kudos: 11





	Obon, not Oden

**“WHAT?” ASKED KATSURA, HOLDING** a considerably heavy book. Its cover, bright red, had handwritten letters, saying _How To Manage Your Feelings_. He was completely confused when Shinpachi ran into him, shoving that enormous book in his chest. Now, he looked as the boy disappeared among the many people attending to the Obon festival.

Staying there, reminded him briefly of a time where he was, again, with Gintoki. He held tightly his master’s book, pressed to his bumping and aching chest, while tears coloured his face in a sad tone. Katsura couldn’t speak when Gintoki appeared.

“Why do you still keep this b-” Gintoki startled, eyes widened when he saw Katsura’s teary eyes. He usually cried over cute things, especially pets, but Gintoki knew when things were serious. “Are you alright?” He sat beside him, on a woody bench in front of a river in Edo. The sun was setting.

Gintoki had thrown his book away a long time ago. He didn’t know if he did this because he didn’t need anything to remember of his master or because he just couldn’t handle looking at it on a dusty shelf of his house. Katsura nodded, wiping his tears away. His eyes were red and his sniffling nose too, Gintoki noticed.

“I just…” Katsura started. “Never mind.” But the words got caught in his throat, as always. He was utterly sad.

Now, as he walked among the crowd, the golden title was like a voice inside his head. And soon he realised that he never talked about anything with Gintoki. Ordinary things neither, such as “hey, I’m feeling happy today” or even “I couldn’t sleep last night”. They were together for a long time but they never had time to do such banalities.

As the lanterns of Obon started lightening the streets, Katsura felt like giving up. Giving up on his silence, the dryness that always made him wordless in front of Gintoki.

Shinpachi’s distant voice suddenly hit him, in words he didn’t hear when they bumped into each other.

“Be honest, Katsura-san.”

Yes, honest. It was kind of hard, but he didn’t have any other choice. The lights will be eternal, shining around his master’s grave, he knew it deep down his heart. But sadness was a feeling Shouyou didn’t want them to express, never. Katsura had to try harder if he wanted what his heart really craved.

As he walked to the Yorozuya’s, he concluded he certainly would have to confess in front of Kagura and Shinpachi too, but that didn’t matter. He was about to start running when he heard a familiar voice, out of the blue.

In fact, he was in front of Oden’s bar. And the voice which called him was Gintoki’s.

“What are you doing here?” Asked Katsura, squinting to believe. “Did you really leave your children alone to come here?”

“They’re not- ah, forget it.”

“It’s Obon, not Oden festival,” Katsura said, sitting. Gintoki smiled at his statement.

“I don’t like this festival.”

“Why not?”

“It…” He was always like that. Silent, repressive. “Brings back memories I’d rather forget.”

“But we somehow still need them,” Katsura said. “I understand how you feel. And I know that you know that I still keep that book.”

“Because you’re a masochist.”

Katsura sighed. Gintoki gave him a smile and offered his drink.

“Perhaps.”


End file.
